GLAAD to honor San Francisco Giants on May 11

GLAAD, the U.S lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today announced that the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants will receive the Corporate Leader Award at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, presented nationally by Ketel One Vodka and Wells Fargo, and presented locally by Southwest Airlines.

The San Francisco Giants will receive the award at the ceremony on May 11, 2013 at the Hilton San Francisco – Union Square. The award is presented to companies or organizations that have demonstrated a stalwart commitment to building support for equality.

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In 1994, the San Francisco Giants became the first-ever professional sports team to host an HIV/AIDS benefit game, “Until There’s A Cure Day.” Since then, the Giants and the Giants Community Fund have repeated the effort, generating more than $1.3 million for Bay Area HIV/AIDS education, care/service organizations and international HIV/AIDS research.

The Giants were also the first major league sports team to record a video for the It Gets Better Project, a campaign devoted to bettering the lives LGBT youth. Last September, pitcher Matt Cain, the longest tenured player on the team, was photographed for the NOH8 Campaign in response to California’s passing of Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples. In October, the Giants took yet another stand in support of LGBT youth by participating in Spirit Day, GLAAD’s annual anti-bullying campaign. The team also welcomed San Francisco drag icon, Donna Sachet, to sing the national anthem in 2008.

This May, the San Francisco Giants will host their 11th annual LGBT Night Out, a game that celebrates LGBT fans and their allies with proceeds going to local LGBT organizations, including the FGG (Federation of Gay Games), Team SF, and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA).

“The San Francisco Giants have taken a leadership role when it comes to equality in sports,” said GLAAD’s Wilson Cruz. “By being so outspoken and supportive of the community, the team and its management have put the conversation around the lack of gay players in major league sports at the forefront of sports media around the country.”

GLAAD previously announced that Grammy-nominated singer Adam Lambert will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award at the San Francisco event. Additional guests for the event will be announced.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD’s work to amplify stories from the LGBT community and issues that build support for equality.

Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco bring together more than 5,000 advocates and allies to raise critical funds for the organization’s work. The New York GLAAD Media Awards were held on March 16 at the New York Marriott Marquis. The Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards will be held on April 20 at the JW Marriott.

The 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are executive produced by Marc Honaker, Director of Creative Development at GLAAD, and by Josh Wood, founder and president of Josh Wood Productions. Emmy Award-winning production designer James Connelly will design this year’s set. Producer and editor Brett Henrichsen will also contribute to this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.

To receive the latest updates on the GLAAD Media Awards, follow @glaad on Twitter and use the hashtag #glaadawards.